This application relates generally to a monitoring system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a reconfigurable monitoring system.
As known, a monitoring system for a vehicle acquires data from various data sources. Example data sources include vibrations, temperatures, pressures, fluid levels, debris monitors, switch closures, etc. In some examples, sensors distributed throughout the vehicle gather data from the data sources. The gathered data is then communicated from the sensors to the monitoring system. Technicians interact with the monitoring system to obtain data, rather than separately communicating with each sensor. Technicians use the gathered data to estimate how operating conditions have influenced the health of a component within the vehicle, for example. Aircraft are one type of vehicle that utilize monitoring systems. Many aircraft include a prognostic and health monitoring system that gathers data from a gas turbine engine of the aircraft and the surrounding areas.
The typical monitoring system is designed to gather specific types of data. Gathering different types of data, gathering additional data, or responding to changing data requirements requires replacing or extensive redesign of the monitoring system, which can be costly and time consuming. For example, on the aircraft, communications between temperature sensors and the monitoring system often require higher speed connections than communications between vibration sensors and the monitoring system. Accordingly, the monitoring system is initially built to include specific high speed connections associated with a specific number of temperature sensors and specific low speed connections associated with a specific number of vibration sensors. If a technician wants the monitoring system to later gather different types or quantities of the data sources, the entire monitoring system must be replaced or the entire monitoring system must be removed from the aircraft and redesigned.